Expanding fishhook



May 13, 1952 W. E. KAUTEN BERG EXPANDING FISHHOOK Filed May 1, 1946 Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE EXPANDING FISHHOOKI William E. Kautenberg, Freeport, Ill. I Application May 1, 1946, Serial No. 666,317

This invention relates in general to a double fishhook of the expanding type in which the barbed ends of the hooks are engaged to provide a generally Weedless type of hook.

An important object of the invention is to provide a pair of cooperatinghooks having barbs on their inner and adjacent sides adapted to interengage and hold them together.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double hook made of spring wire and having interengageable barbs to hold them together but tending to spring apart laterally and at right angles thereto when grabbed or struck by a fish.

Still a. further object of the invention is to provide an expanding hook structure adapted to be supported in relatively horizontal position for normal engagement by a fish in horizontal position in the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hook structure normally supported in horizontal position and movable to pendant or depending position when grabbed or struck by a fish.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double hook having spring shanks and adjacent oppositely extending hook portions which tend to spring apart when disengaged with a bait or lure disposed inwardly oi the shanks.

A further object of the invention is to provide an expanding fishhook structure in which the hooks extend oppositely and have interengaging lateral barbs at or near the ends of the hook portions and tend to spring apart when grabbed or struck by a fish, the spring tension preventing the fish from disengaging itself from the hook by pulling or shaking it loose in the usual way.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a double engaging and expanding hook structure which has substantially parallel bait holding means spaced from the engaging hooks to prevent them from becoming obstructed by the bait applied thereto.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an expanding double fishhook in accordance with the principles of this invention, supported in horizontal posi tion with the two hooks in interengaged relation;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. l in suspended or vertical position and showing the hooks in an expand d or spread apart condition;

Fig.3 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4. is an end view of the structure as taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the expanded structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of double expanding fishhook in which the barbs are interengaged at the sides of the hooks but spring and swing apart when released, with bait holding parts at the sides of the hooks;

Fig. 8 is a. side view of the structure shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is an end view oi the structure of Fig. 7 with the hooks in interengaged position; and

Fig. 10 is a side view of th modified structure in a. released and outwardly rotated position.

In this type of double expanding fishhooks, the hook portions are at the ends of spring shanks and the barbs instead of being on the ends inside of the hooks are disposed laterally or at the edges of the hooks in opposite relation to each other so that when the two shanks are compressed and pressed inwardly together, the barbs of the hooks may be interengaged, thus forming a structure which is practically weedless. This structureis also very efieotive in catching fish, for it is only disengaged when a fish of sufficient size grabs or strikes over the ends of the opposite hooks in an attempt to grab or swallow the bait, whereupon the barbs are disengaged and spring outwardly to catch the jaws or in the mouth of the fish. The points of the hooks are protected until disengaged by the bite of the fish, and thenthe hooks spring apart, catching the fish before he can evade the hooks.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a double expanding hook structure in accordance with this invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 6, having opposite shanks l2 and 13 connected at one end by a loop I, the loop being formed by crossing the shanks adjacent to this end and providing a support for a ring IS in which a spinner I6 is supported between the shanks l2 and I3 by means of a swivel l1.

Attached to one of the shanks l2 intermediate the ends by soldering or spot welding it thereto is a spring clip 18 for receiving a fish line 2|] between opposite spring fingers [9 of the clip [8 in such a manner that the fish line may be inserted between the spring fingers but with a sharp Jerk or pull, the fish line will be pulled outwardly between the fingers and disengaged from the clip.

One end or the fish line is formed with a loop 2| which isattached to the looped end. I! not. the

hook portion 55 havin abhr if being -.1o eated a th e i eeht sid shank, and the other end of the line is usually attached to a weight or sinker 22.

The ends of the shanks I2 and I3 terminate in opposite rounded hook portions 24 and 25 with adjacent crossin portions 26 between the shanks and the ends of the hooks. Near the end of each hook and at the relatively lateral or inner side thereof is a barb 21, the point of which extends toward the pointed extremity 28 thereof, each barb forming a seat for the extremity 28 of the adjacent hook when these hookportions are pressed together against their normal separating spring pressure and being held together as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 4. In this position, l

the point or extremity of the hook is protected so that it becomes Weedless when inclosedposi:

tion.

that they tend to spring; apart laterally as representedin Fig. 6 and longitudinally or; at right angles thereto as representedmoreiclearly in Fig. 2 henthe barbs and point aredise lgaged. In actual use, the ends of'the hooks are pressed tos th r by in and n ag n the shank un the points 28 of the opposite hooks are seated within the barbs 2'! .ofthe otherhooks, the spring tension keep ngith m ihIthi Position, ntil [they are-disengaged or ehephedapart hey m y disengaged by slight pressureon thefshank ortions [2 and litof thehookswhich may be effected either, by fingerpressure or by thebiting of a fish against these portions in snapping at the bait.

en afish; rabs or strik s 1 atthe bait the iaws h ngage. p t ns 1 dle; hri s heih h heeth r enou h so that the extremities .28. arefreed from their ena em t: with. the h rbs. '21; the h oks spread apartiatera ya d 'ght an le t er a' ereby en a ing "and book ng bo h the up er and low jaws of: the fish. eepi e e. t s on the ook rtions so that he cannot e en itself. A V

y sus hding.@hgoh'of th sk hdin he izohtal .pes t nsshewh i F avl. .wi hth fi h lin extendin romthe loon tfithronehthe' c ip 18 an th nc upwardlaohe h k ov l ng the other, t e ho k e a p s t o n agement y fi h. swim-m be tt c d. tome-.10 1: ehdj Mwitheute ga ihg e sprin l p s. butif: hooha emhl is su d i h iz n a positi n as s o n in i 1,.and then there is astrike. orpull by aiishem aging the hook ends; the fish li e 2.0 Wi l be disen ag d imm th cli -1 t erehysushendi i the h ok ass m ly in verti l o ition a rent r sented in Fig. 2. F i 7 l r In the term o the. invent n s own by ,F se- T to 10, a somewhat s mi a double-e pandi hook st ucture. 'mPI SQS Shanks and-Joine by alone 3? a end a d the shanks may ha e flattenedportions .33 at t lo p ros i te'i di s to sp ehqek e ties e the shan :lesiliently. apa t hi a them outwar y from en ement h ee h ether- Atthe end smash-shanks! an 1 s a euhde from ,a free extremity '3 portions when they are turned to ether s9 t at when the, hook are .1eo n osi; and

turhed inward1y, .zthe; barbs'mayub ter h as as shownmore I clearly-win Fig. 1.9; the extrem ties The barbs and hooks are resilient and are so crossed and disposed with respect to each other.

eherrhal y o hhri hoh ll n the wat r. .If slesimdtthe l n 2;) may 70 ends, ah ha in hee exih lh dotted outline in Fig. 9 and as represented in Fig. 10, so that a fish may be engaged by either 10 one or both of the barbs of the doublehook in a natural hooked engagement of the. fish and if the fish is sufficiently large, or the hooks are relatively small, both hook extremities may be with- .in the mouth of the fish for engagement there- 'With.

order'tq prevent the barbed hook extremities from being obstructed by bait applied theretopeach shank and hook extremity may be pro- 7 video. with a'separate bait holder 40 attached at one end 4| by soldering or spot welding it thereto. the ba h l e el w s thee htm Of t heohex em i o he hahhehd.

by or between the shanks of the book. 11 is hook assembly may alsobe support origontally and 0 e i a a r es te flFlEfi- Th Expanding double 1 .9 1 fi fl ll l fi ma therefore be provided inhdiffferent'sizes fo fish which tend to swallow the 1:; ll; s ot i: and a relatively smaller size, he uti H d for smaller fish. Both of t e'hhe shit are are similar in action, intheir methoii'ofint engagement-by lateral'barbs. and both'of the V to spring apart laterally and at right'angl th. -whenreleased. A rd si e fish ure ma he a heh b e s a ks r he h ek i an b the ank s h -the a e ade' ed' er W shiha trolling, and also 'gforfly .or b easing. Inf'all uses, "the hook structure whenfthe'barhs are Le eeee tis et al w edleess tha hi h h -i adapted to be u sed in placesjiwhere open:

t eyishe d e e h d fihr .y e p nd hah hhe aseemh y herma yshn o n her aehta ition havin a i "he shanks with hoekeXthel i so le p at h e d ehh9ite Eh fastening clip at one sideof -th therewith ihtehheshet t erids ins. herd att h d 9. leasably through the W g y t lpqsit qh r l 2. rishheek aseemhlyada teate hehehh ll ppo t d n horizohta he tlqhiesmlmie lah pair of spring shanks connected together atthe es. tens le: Ito

'd r treleasably together, a supporting line to thereoh ted eh sa si a shrine 7 clip rigidly attached to one of the slia e ding h he shewn an described nsehn mediate the ends for releasably engaging the supporting line as it extends from the connected ends.

3. A fishhook comprising spring shanks with oppositely turned. hook extremities which tend to spring apart laterally and at right angles thereto, reversely turned means at the ends of the extremities adapted to interengage, a fish lure supported by the shanks, and means for suspending the hook in horizontal and vertical positions comprising a line attached to the shanks at the end opposite the hooks and a line engaging and releasing clip intermediate the ends of and rigid with one of the shanks through which the line extends for supporting the hook in horizontal position, the shanks being drawn from horizontal to vertical position when the line is disengaged by a pull from the releasing clip.

4. A fishhook comprising a trap hook structure having a pair of supporting shanks, and means including a line connecting the ends of the shanks and having a clip rigid with and intermediate the ends of one of the shanks for supporting the trap hooks releasably in horizontal position and disengageable from the clip for supporting them in vertical position.

WILLIAM E. KAUTENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 321,796 Clark July 7, 1885 373,991 Lockhead Nov. 29, 1887 454,581 Mack June 23, 1891 618,764 Anderson Jan. 31, 1899 620,896 Edgar Mar. 14, 1899 644,489 Anderson Feb. 27, 1900 720,392 Amsden Feb. 10, 1903 886,794 Gilmore May 5, 1908 1,898,442 Grutsch Feb. 21, 1933 1,957,799 Peterson May 8, 1934 2,004,316 Foote June 11, 1935 2,094,267 Faria Sept. 28, 1937 2,189,958 Middlemiss Feb. 13, 1940 2,274,131 Edberg Feb. 24, 1942 2,275,869 Seaton Mar. 10, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 481.456 France Dec. 8, 1916 

